Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, reaffirmed his commitment to prioritizing the well-being of Abia State workers during this year’s May Day celebration held at the Umuahia Township Stadium.
In his speech titled “Workers as Agents of Development and Transformation,” Governor Otti assured that Abia will be at the forefront of implementing the new minimum wage once a national agreement is reached. He acknowledged ongoing discussions between Labour leaders and the Federal Government and pledged immediate action upon a concrete outcome.
“I understand that labour leaders across the country are currently engaging with the Federal Government, and we are following those discussions closely. As soon as a concrete agreement is reached, we shall immediately do the needful as a State,” Governor Otti stated.
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He also addressed other worker concerns, including the payment of outstanding leave allowances, promotions, and accumulated debts from previous administrations.
“We have also noted your other demands including payment of arrears of leave allowance, promotions and other accumulated debts owed our workforce in the last eight to ten years. We shall carefully consider these requests and deal with them on a case-by-case basis, and subject to availability of resources.
“What you can, however, go home with today is that your welfare shall remain a priority for us. We shall continue to put you first in all policies and programmes of government, and in appreciation of your immense contributions to our economic and social development,” the Governor affirmed.
He expressed his gratitude to Abia workers for their dedication and contributions to the state’s development, assuring that many of the raised issues would be effectively addressed by next year’s May Day celebration.